Strabane Academy delighted to host NI World Championship squad

MEMBERS of Strabane Martial Arts Academy enjoyed a visit from the Northern Ireland WKU World Championship squad ahead of their trip to Wales late next month.

Included in the Northern Ireland team are Strabane Academy members, Denis Lafferty, Cathal McLaughlin and Jamie Foley, who travel to Wales on October 23rd for the World Championships.

And as well as being proud of their three members who will compete at the World Championships, the club was thrilled to be asked to host one of the Northern Ireland squad’s training sessions.

“It was good to get them all up,” beamed club coach, Dee McIntyre. “For us to get to put them through a session, to be able to give them whatever wee bits of knowledge we have was great.

“There are loads of clubs in Northern Ireland to to get selected was a good thing.”

On the day, McIntyre and his co-founder, Mickey Coyle coached the K1 and low kick section, Uel Murphy from Derry ran the light contact and full contact session and Limavady’s Willie Lowry hosted the points part of the session.

“To see it all working in synch was good, it was a good experience,” McIntyre added.

“There was a good crowd there and it was good to get the fighters in and to get Strabane in that mix, to get in along with the elites.

“To be associated with the best is good.”